Outlander© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins is double-handed as he aims to claim the JLT Novices' Chase at Cheltenham for the third time in six years today.
Charged with following in the hoofprints of Sir Des Champs (2012) and last year's breathtaking winner Vautour for the champion trainer are Outlander and Black Hercules
The latter was ante-post favourite for the National Hunt Chase for a long time, but Mullins decided to bring him back in distance after he fell at the final fence at Navan last month.
"Getting the right race for each horse takes a lot of soul searching and there is no horse I have thought about more than Black Hercules," Mullins told At The Races.
"He was favourite for the National Hunt Chase for some time, but last time out he raced very keen and if he ran a similar race over four miles, he wouldn't last home.
"Outlander has quietly gone about his business this season, winning all three races in novice chases, stepping up each time.
"His second run was a victory in the Shannon Airport Novice Chase from Avant Tout which is good form, and he followed that with success in the Grade One Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown."
Andrew Lynch's Zabana has been well fancied for this race for a while, but needs to raise his game after finishing a long way behind Outlander on his latest appearance.
Big-race jockey Davy Russell said: "I schooled Zabana over fences last week and he gave me a great feel. The drying ground will be right up his street.
"We know he needs to improve to be a player in such a competitive race, but he ran a cracker at the meeting last year (second in Coral Cup) and hopefully can go well again."
